The group stage of the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League continues this week with matchday two.

It was a busy first round of action several days ago as Bayern Munich crushed Arsenal 5-2, Manchester City recorded a shock 2-0 win over current holders Barcelona, and Chelsea scraped past Real Madrid 3-2 at Stamford Bridge. 

16 teams are battling it out in the group stage in hope of qualifying for the knockout rounds. Among the favourites for this year’s prize are reigning champions Barcelona, eight-time winners Lyon, and WSL title holders Chelsea.

90min has taken a look at the matchday two fixtures and predicted who will come out on top.

Bayern laid down a marker last time out with a 5-2 triumph over Arsenal. However, this week’s Italian hosts had to beat Paris Saint-Germain in qualifying to reach the group stage of the competition, and they did so with an emphatic 5-2 aggregate win.

It is for that reason Juventus cannot be overlooked for this year’s competition. Their victory over Valerenga on matchday one was far more modest, but it was a win nonetheless.

This is probably one of the tougher ties to call, which is why it could end in a draw in Italy.

Prediction: Juventus 2-2 Bayern Munich

Manchester City surprised the women’s football world last week when they beat Barcelona 2-0 at the Joie Stadium. While the current European champions are not unstoppable, it was a fierce test for Gareth Taylor’s side on their return to the competition.

St Polten, on the other hand, are by far the strongest team in Austria, but were beaten 2-0 by Hammarby last time out. It’s tough to see anything other than a City win given the rich vein of form they are currently in.

Prediction: St Polten 0-3 Manchester City

All eyes will be on the Emirates this week as the visit of Norwegian side Valerenga will be the Gunners’ first game without manager Jonas Eidevall, who announced his resignation on Tuesday. With all that’s going on behind the scenes, this is by no means an easy match for Arsenal.

The visitors were only narrowly beaten 1-0 by Juventus last time out, so they will be a stern defence to break down. Given Arsenal struggled to score against Everton in the WSL a matter of weeks ago, it will be interesting to see how the manager’s departure impacts their attacking play.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Valerenga

After last week’s defeat in Manchester, Barcelona will be desperate to bounce back and put some points on the board. A home fixture will certainly help, although Hammarby got off to a winning start themselves.

With all the talent Barcelona boast in their ranks, they should have enough to overcome the Swedish side. Hammarby are currently third in the Damallsvenskan table behind Rosengard and BK Hacken with a few games left to play of the domestic season.

Prediction: Barcelona 5-0 Hammarby

Celtic’s group stage opponents couldn’t get more difficult with Chelsea and Real Madrid among them. The Scottish side didn’t get off to the best start last week as they were defeated 2-0 by FC Twente, so it will take a monumental effort if they’re to snatch any points from Madrid now.

While the match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge ultimately ended in defeat for the Liga F side, they still made life difficult for Sonia Bompastor’s side, and it was by no means a straightforward win for the hosts. Madrid will hope to carry that form into this week’s game against Celtic.

Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Celtic

Galatasaray were founded only three years ago, and this season is their first attempt in Europe’s premier competition. They progressed all the way through the qualifying rounds, and beat Slavia Prague 4-3 on aggregate to reach the group stage.

Their opening match against Lyon last week ended in a 3-0 loss, but it wasn’t the heavy scoreline some may have feared. Roma, on the other hand, produced a shock 1-0 win over Wolfsburg in their first group game, so they will be full of confidence heading into Thursday’s game.

Prediction: 2-4 Roma

It’s a trip to the Netherlands for Chelsea as they gear up for their second group stage fixture on Thursday evening. Bompastor’s side edged past Real Madrid last time out, so another victory will be crucial here if they’re to stay on track to reach the knockout stages.

After a taxing WSL game against Arsenal over the weekend, the Chelsea boss may look at rotating with a London derby against Tottenham on the horizon. The first international break of the campaign also looms large, so team selection could be key here.

However, Twente are not a team to be taken lightly, and after their opening day triumph over Celtic, they will back themselves on home soil.

Prediction: FC Twente 1-4 Chelsea

A battle of the titans will take place in Germany on Thursday night. Both Wolfsburg and Lyon boast a rich history in this competition, and have contested four past finals against each other.

Lyon opened this season’s account with a victory, while Wolfsburg struggled against Roma. They will certainly need to bounce back strongly if they’re to have any hope of beating their rivals.

Prediction: Wolfsburg 1-2 Lyon

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